Notes on Cardinal Reflections
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Cardinal George: “Social anthropology does not justify any claim that simplicity in ritual form is more effective than complexity, or that a sign which is immediately intelligible will be more effective than a multifaceted symbol.”
Pell: The concept of incultration has been used to allow the surrounding society, sometimes reflecting some less desirable aspects of mass culture, eg. Hedonism, to enter into our liturgy, especially our music. So the uninitiated came to believe that they had a right to entertainment and novelty, should certainly be comforted and challenged rarely, if at all.
George: In fact the translation of participato actuosa as “active participation” is not entirely adequate. A secondary meaning of actuosa us “effective” and of course activity need not be only external. In the liturgy participation must be internal and spiritual and requires prayerful silence and listening.
JPII: “Full participation does not mean that everyone does everything the liturgy, like the Church is intended to be hierarchical and polyphonic. In a culture which neither favours nor fosters meditative quiet, the art of interior listening is learned only with difficulty. Here we see how the liturgy, though it must always be properly incultrated, must also be counter cultural.”
TW – By our baptism we are worthy and called to participate in the liturgy which allows participation in the divine life. Dont attempt to debase the worshipping Church in heaven by “dragging it down” to meet us in a secularised world – our baptism does not invite us to do this. Rather we reach to join in.
Cathedral as resource, centre for liturgical excellence not possible in other places. The summit of the summit.
Arinze – “the liturgy is primarily something that Christ does, not something that we put together. It is something that we receive, not something that we invent.”
Arinze – “Listening is not a passive affair. It is an active openness to Gods action in us.”